Ventilation apparatus

ABSTRACT

A ventilation apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include a casing having first and second indoor air suction holes formed at opposite ends thereof, an indoor air discharge hole and an outdoor air suction hole formed at a rear side thereof, and an outdoor air discharge hole formed at an upper side thereof. First and second heat exchanger installed within the casing, with a partition plate partitioning the interior of the casing into an indoor air exhaust chamber and an outdoor air suction chamber having an exhaust fan disposed and first and second supply fans respectively provided therein. Use of first and second air supply fan may reduce noise generated during operation, and simplified indoor and outdoor air flow paths may further reduce noise and enhance efficiency.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Application No. 10-2011-0074998 filed on Jul. 28, 2011, 10-2011-0092642 filed on Sep. 14, 2011 and 10-2011-0094754 filed on Sep. 20, 2011, whose entire disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

This relates to a ventilation apparatus.

2. Background

In general, a ventilation apparatus exhausts indoor air to the outside and supplies outdoor air to an indoor area, and may minimize heat loss of an indoor area by heat-exchanging indoor air and outdoor air. Such a ventilation apparatus may include an exhaust fan for exhausting indoor air to the outside, an air supply fan for supplying outdoor air to an indoor area, and a heat exchanger for heat-exchanging indoor air exhausted by the exhaust fan and outdoor air supplied by the air supply fan. Such a ventilation apparatus may be, for example, a ceiling-insert type ventilation apparatus which is installed/embedded in a ceiling and connected to an indoor area and an outdoor area by a duct, exhausting indoor air and supplying outdoor air through the duct.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ventilation apparatus according to a first embodiment as broadly described herein;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ventilation apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front interior view of the ventilation apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the ventilation apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an air supply fan of the ventilation apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a controller of the ventilation apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a ventilation apparatus according to a second embodiment as broadly described herein;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a ventilation apparatus according to a third embodiment as broadly described herein; and

FIG. 9 is a front interior view of a ventilation apparatus according to a fourth embodiment as broadly described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a ventilation apparatus as embodied and broadly described herein may include a casing 2 forming an external appearance thereof. The ventilation apparatus may be installed in an indoor area to be ventilated, either as a free standing unit or installed in the ceiling, and the casing 2 may be connected to an outdoor area by an air intake and exhaust duct 3. The ventilation apparatus may draw in indoor air from an indoor area and discharge it to an outdoor area through the air intake and exhaust duct 3. The ventilation apparatus may draw in outdoor area through the air intake and exhaust duct 3 and discharge it to an indoor area. The air intake and exhaust duct 3 may penetrate the wall of a building to provide for communication between indoor and outdoor areas. The air intake and exhaust duct 3 may include a partition plate 3′ to partition an air intake passage for guiding in outdoor air and an air exhaust passage for exhausting indoor air.

In one exemplary embodiment, the ventilation apparatus may, for example, draw in indoor air from left and right sides thereof and discharge outdoor air from an upper side thereof. Other arrangements may also be appropriate, based on, for example, an installation orientation, ventilation requirements, and other factors. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the casing 2 may include a left indoor air suction hole 4 formed on a left side thereof, a right indoor air suction hole 6 formed on a right side thereof, an indoor air discharge hole 8 and an outdoor air suction hole 10 formed on a rear side thereof, and outdoor air discharge holes 12 and 14 formed on an upper side thereof. The casing may include a base 16, a rear panel 18, a front panel 20, and a top cover 22.

The casing 2 may be, for example, positioned near or fixed to the wall of an indoor area to be ventilated by fasteners 23A and 23B such as, for example, bolts, or the like. Receivers 24A and 24B may be formed on the casing 2, such as, for example, at left and right lower portions of the casing 2, to respectively receive and fix the fasteners 23A and 23B. The fasteners 23A and 23B may extend in a forward/backward direction and may include a head portion caught by a front end portion of the receivers 24A and 24B, respectively. The fasteners 23A and 23B may penetrate the receivers 24A and 24B such that a rear portion of the fasteners 23A and 23B may be inserted into and fixed in an indoor wall. The fasteners 23A and 23B may be fastened to the receivers 24A and 24B by a holder such as, for example, a nut, or the like. The receivers 24A and 24B may include a through portion through which the fasteners 23A and 23B may penetrate. The receivers 24A and 24B may be disposed at left and right sides of at least one of the base 16 or the rear panel 18. The fasteners 23A and 23B may include a left fastener 23A fixing the left side of the casing 2 and a right fastener 23B fixing the right side of the casing 2. The receivers 24A and 24B may include a left receiver 24A to which the fastener 23A is fastened and a right receiver 24B to which the right fastener 23B is fastened.

The base 16 may include a lower plate 16A, a left plate 16B that protrudes upward from a left side of the lower plate 16A, and a right plate 16C that protrudes from a right side of the lower plate 16A. The lower plate 16A may define a bottom of the casing 2. The base 16 may include a left sloped plate 16D that slopes upward from an upper end of the left plate 16B and a right sloped plate 16E that slopes upward from an upper end of the right plate 16C. The distance between the left plate 16B and the right plate 16C of the base 16 may be less than the distance between the left receiver 24A and the right receiver 24B. The left fastener 23A may be inserted into a space between the left plate 16B and the left sloped plate 16D of the base 16 so as to be fastened to the left receiver 24A. The right fastener 23B may be inserted into a space between the right plate 16C and the right sloped plate 16E of the base 16 so as to be fastened to the right receiver 24B. In certain embodiments, the left fastener 23A and the right fastener 23B may be fastened to a wall from an outer position of the base 16.

The rear panel 18 may define a rear wall of the casing 2. The indoor air discharge hole 8 and the outdoor air suction hole 10 may extend through the rear panel 18. As shown in FIG. 4, the indoor air discharge hole 8 and the outdoor air suction hole 10 may be vertically spaced apart on the rear panel 18. For example, the indoor air discharge hole 8 may be positioned above the outdoor air suction hole 10. The air intake and exhaust duct 3 may be connected to the rear panel 18. An exhaust passage formed within an upper portion of the air intake and exhaust duct 3 (above the partition plate 3′) may be connected with the indoor air discharge hole 8, and an air supply passage formed within a lower portion within the air intake and exhaust duct 3 (below the partition plate 3′) may communicate with the outdoor air suction hole 10. The rear panel 18 may include a left through hole 18A that the left fastener 23A penetrates and a right through hole 18B that the right fastener 23B penetrates.

The front panel 20 may define a front surface of the ventilation apparatus and lateral plates 26 and 28 may define respective lateral sides of the ventilation apparatus. The lateral plates 26 and 28 may be integrally formed with one of the rear panel 18 or the front panel 20, or may be separately formed from the rear panel 18 and the front panel 20 and coupled to at least one of the rear panel 18 or the front panel 20. When the lateral plates 26 and 28 are integrally bent from two opposite sides of the front panel 20, as shown in FIG. 2, a gap at a front side of the casing 2 may be minimized. Thus, in this embodiment, the front panel 20 may include a left plate 26 having the left indoor air suction hole 4 formed therein, a right plate 28 having the right indoor air suction hole 6 formed therein, and a front plate 30 extending between a front edge of the left plate 26 and a front edge of the right plate 28.

The top cover 22 may be installed horizontally or at an incline at upper portions of the rear panel 18 and the front panel 20. The top cover 22 may include the outdoor air discharge holes 12 and 14 formed therein, spaced apart in a horizontal direction. The top cover 22 may be formed such that the left outdoor air discharge hole 12 discharges air in an upward direction or in an upward and forward direction and the right outdoor air discharge hole 14 discharges air in an upward direction or in an upward and forward direction. The left outdoor air discharge hole 12 may be positioned above a left heat exchanger 32 installed in the casing 2 and the right outdoor air discharge hole 14 may be positioned above a right heat exchanger 34 installed in the casing 2. The top cover 22 may include a grill region encompassing the left outdoor air discharge hole 12 and the right outdoor air discharge hole 14.

A partition plate 40 may partition an interior of the casing 2 into an indoor air exhaust chamber 36 and an outdoor air suction chamber 38, with an exhaust fan 42 installed in the indoor air exhaust chamber 36, a left air supply fan 44 installed in the outdoor air suction chamber 38 blowing outdoor air to the left heat exchanger 32 and a right air supply fan 46 installed in the outdoor air suction chamber 38 blowing outdoor air to the right heat exchanger 34.

The left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34 may heat-exchange outdoor air and indoor air, respectively.

The left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34 may each include an outdoor air flow path 48 allowing outdoor air to be drawn in from a lower face thereof and discharged from an upper face thereof and an indoor air flow path 50 allowing indoor air to pass therethrough in a horizontal direction. For example, the indoor air flow path 50 of the left heat exchanger 32 may draw indoor air in at a left face thereof and discharge the air from a right face thereof, and the indoor air flow path 50 of right heat exchanger 34 may draw indoor air in at a right face thereof and discharge the air from a left face thereof.

The left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34 may each include a front shield provided on a front face thereof and a rear shield provided on a rear face thereof. A heat transmission device may be provided between the front shield and the rear shield to allow outdoor air and indoor air to transfer heat, while partitioning the outdoor air flow path 48 and the indoor air flow path 50.

In certain embodiments, the outdoor air flow path and the indoor air flow path 50 may be alternately arranged in a forward/backward direction.

Left and right faces of the outdoor air flow path 48 may be closed and upper and lower faces of the outdoor air flow path 48 may be open, with the space between the upper face and the lower face of the outdoor air flow path 48 also open. Upper and lower faces of the indoor air flow path 50 may be closed and left and right faces of the indoor air flow path 50 may be open, with the space between the left face and the right face of the indoor air flow path 50 also open.

Outdoor air suction flow paths 52 and 54 may be respectively formed between the left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34 and the lower plate 16A of the casing 2. Hereinafter, the outdoor air suction flow path 52 below the left heat exchanger 32 will be referred to as a left outdoor air suction flow path 52, and the outdoor air suction flow path 54 below the right heat exchanger 34 will be referred to as a right outdoor air suction flow path 54.

The left heat exchanger 32 may be supported by a left supporter 56 such that the left heat exchanger 32 is separated from the lower plate 16A of the casing 2, and the right heat exchanger 34 may be supported by a right supporter 58 such that the right heat exchanger 34 is separated from the lower plate 16A of the casing 2.

The left supporter 56 may include a left lower frame 60 disposed on the lower plate 16A of the casing 2, a left vertical frame 62 extending upward from and perpendicular to the left lower frame 60, and a left upper frame 64 horizontally disposed and extending from an upper portion of the left vertical frame 62. The left heat exchanger 32 may be supported on the left upper frame 64 of the left supporter 56. A left opening 65 may allow air blown from the left air supply fan 44 to pass therethrough and flow to the lower face of the left heat exchanger 32.

The right supporter 58 may include a right lower frame 70 disposed on the lower plate 16A of the casing 2, a right vertical frame 72 extending upward from and perpendicular to the right lower frame 70, and a right upper frame 74 horizontally disposed and extending from an upper portion of the right vertical frame 72. The right heat exchanger 34 may be supported on the right upper frame 74 of the right supporter 58. A right opening 75 may allow air blown from the right air supply fan 46 to pass therethrough and flow to the lower face of the right heat exchanger 34.

The partition plate 40 may act as a shield that prevents mixing of indoor air from the indoor area and outdoor air from an outdoor area. The partition plate 40 may define the outdoor air suction chamber 38 together with the lower plate 16A of the casing 2, and may also define the indoor air exhaust chamber 36 at an upper side thereof. An upper face of the partition plate 40 may form a flow path for indoor air, and a lower face of the partition plate 40 may form a flow path for outdoor air. The partition plate 40 may secure an installation space of the left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46 while also allowing for a maximum height of the left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the partition plate 40 may include a horizontal plate 90, a left sloped plate 92, and a right sloped plate 94. The horizontal plate 90 may be placed between the left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34, with the left sloped plate 92 sloping toward a lower end of the left heat exchanger 32 from a left end of the horizontal plate 90 and the right sloped plate 94 sloping toward a lower end of the right heat exchanger 34 from a left end of the horizontal plate 90. The left sloped plate 92 and the right sloped plate 94 may be sloped toward the exhaust fan 42 to guide indoor air, which has passed through the left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34, to the exhaust fan 42.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the exhaust fan 42 may include suction holes 96 and 97 formed on left and right faces thereof and an air discharge hole 98 formed at a rear portion thereof, so that the exhaust fan 42 may draw air in from left and right faces thereof and blow it in a backward direction.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the exhaust fan 42 may include a fan housing 100 having the indoor air suction holes 96 and 97 and the indoor air discharge hole 98 formed therein, a blower 102 within the fan housing 100, and a motor 104 connected by a rotational shaft to the blower 102 to rotate the blower 102. The exhaust fan 42 may form an exhaust flow path along which indoor air passes through the left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34 and then is discharged through the indoor air discharge hole 8.

The fan housing 100 of the exhaust fan 42 may be installed on the rear panel 18, with the air suction hole 96 facing the left heat exchanger 32 and the air suction hole 97 facing the right heat exchanger 34. The air discharge hole 98 may communicate with the indoor air discharge hole 8 of the casing 2.

Noise generated by the exhaust fan 42 may be transferred to an outdoor area through the indoor air discharge hole 8, and thus may not greatly affect the indoor area in which the ventilation apparatus is installed. A single exhaust fan 42, rather than multiple fans, may be used to reduce a number of components and simplify an assembling process of the ventilation apparatus.

Noise generated by the left and right air supply fans 44 and 46 may be transferred to the indoor area through the left outdoor air discharge hole 12 and the right outdoor air discharge hole 14. A single large air supply fan, rather than the left and right air supply fans 44 and 46, would likely generate a greater amount of noise. Therefore, smaller left and right air supply fans 44 and 46, rather than a single large air supply fan, may be used. Namely, the left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46 together generate less noise when driven in comparison to the noise generated by a single large air supply fan, and thus noise transferred to the indoor area through the left outdoor air discharge hole 12 and the right outdoor air discharge hole 14 may be minimized.

The left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46 may form a distributed air supply flow path along which outdoor air is drawn into the outdoor air suction chamber 38 and then distributed to the left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34. In particular, the left air supply fan 44 may blow outdoor air toward the outdoor air suction flow path 52 between the left heat exchanger and the lower plate 16A of the casing 2, and the right air supply fan 46 may blow outdoor air toward the outdoor air suction flow path 52 between the left heat exchanger and the lower plate 16A of the casing 2.

The ventilation apparatus may further include a left air supply fan mount 110 on which the left air supply fan 44 is mounted and a right air supply fan mount 120 on which the right air supply fan 46 is mounted.

The left air supply fan mount 110 and the right air supply fan mount 120 may be vertically installed within the casing 2. The left air supply fan mount 110 and the right air supply fan mount 120 may have openings 112 and 122 formed therein to allow outdoor air to pass therethrough.

The left air supply fan mount 110 may be coupled to the left supporter 56, with the left outdoor air suction flow path 52 formed between the lower plate 16A of the base 16 and the left plate 16B of the base 16 and the lower face of the left heat exchanger 32 and the left air supply fan mount 110. The opening 112 may communicate with the left outdoor air suction flow path 52.

The right air supply fan mount 120 may be coupled to the right supporter 58, with the right outdoor air suction flow path 54 formed between the lower plate 16A of the base 16 and the right plate 16C of the base 16 and the lower face of the right heat exchanger 34 and the right air supply fan mount 120. The opening 122 may communicate with the right outdoor air suction flow path 54.

The left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46 may be separately installed and may be driven independently.

The left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46 may each include a fan housing 130, a blower 134 rotatably installed in the fan housing 130, and a motor 132 to rotate the blower 134.

Each fan housing 130 may have air suction holes formed in a front face and a rear face thereof to allow outdoor air to be sucked into the fan housing 130, and an air discharge hole 136 formed on a circumferential portion thereof to discharge outdoor air. The air discharge hole 136 may protrude in a lateral direction from the circumferential portion of the housing 130, excluding the front face and the rear face of the fan housing 130 in which the air suction holes are formed.

The fan housing 130, the motor 132, and the blower 134 of the left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46 may have essentially the same structure. The left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46 may discharge air to the left or to the right according to a direction in which air is discharged from the air discharge hole 136.

The left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46 may be installed to discharge in opposite directions. For example, left air supply fan 44 may be installed to discharge air in a leftward direction and the right air supply fan 46 may be installed to discharge air in a rightward direction. The fan housings 130 of the left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46 may have essentially the same shape, and the fan housings 130 may be installed such that discharge directions of the air discharge holes 136 face in opposite directions. For example, fan housing 130 of the left air supply fan 44 may be installed such that the air discharge hole 136 protrudes in the leftward direction, and the fan housing 130 of the right air supply fan 46 may be installed such that the air discharge hole 136 protrudes in the rightward direction.

The motor 132 of the left air supply fan 44 may be installed on one of the front face or the rear face of the fan housing 130 of the left air supply fan 44. The motor 132 of the right air supply fan 46 may be installed on the other of the front face or the rear face of its fan housing 130.

For example, when the motor 132 of the left air supply fan 44 is installed on the front face of the fan housing 130 of the left air supply fan 44 and the air discharge hole 136 formed on the fan housing 130 of the left air supply fan 44 discharges air in the leftward direction, the motor 132 of the right air supply fan 46 may be installed on the rear face of the fan housing 130 of the right air supply fan 46 and the air discharge hole 136 formed on the fan housing 130 of the right air supply fan 46 may discharge air in the rightward direction.

Conversely, when the motor 132 of the left air supply fan 44 is installed on the rear face of the fan housing 130 of the left air supply fan 44 and the air discharge hole 136 formed on the fan housing 130 of the left air supply fan 44 discharges air in the leftward direction, the motor 132 of the right air supply fan 46 may be installed on the front face of the fan housing 130 of the right air supply fan 46 and the air discharge hole 136 formed on the fan housing 130 of the right air supply fan 46 may discharge air in the rightward direction.

The ventilation apparatus may further include a left heat exchanger holder 140 for installation of the left heat exchanger 32 and a right heat exchanger holder 142 for installation of the right heat exchanger 34. The left heat exchanger holder 140 may be installed on or above the left supporter 56 and the right heat exchanger holder 142 may be installed on or above the right supporter 58.

The left heat exchanger holder 140 may include a left vertical frame 144 connected to an upper portion of the left supporter 56 and extending vertically a left horizontal frame 146 extending horizontally from an upper end of the left vertical frame 144. The right heat exchanger holder 142 may include a right vertical frame 148 connected to an upper portion of the right supporter 58 and extending vertically and a right horizontal frame 150 extending horizontally from an upper end of the right vertical frame 148.

A left end of the partition plate 40 may be connected to the left heat exchanger 32 through at least one of the left supporter 56, the left air supply fan mount 110, or the left heat exchanger holder 140. A right end of the partition plate 40 may be connected to the right heat exchanger 34 through at least one of the right supporter 58, the right air supply fan mount 120, or the right heat exchanger holder 142.

The ventilation apparatus may include a left filter device 152 that filters indoor air drawn into the left heat exchanger 32 and a right filter device 154 that filters indoor air drawn into the right heat exchanger 34.

The left filter device 152 may include a left filter 156 that filters indoor air passing therethrough and a left filter frame 158 having a sliding guide 157 to which the left filter 156 may be slidably attached or detached. The left filter frame 158 of the left filter device 152 may connect the left supporter 56 and the left heat exchanger holder 140 to fix the left heat exchanger 32 along with the left supporter 56 and the left heat exchanger holder 140.

The right filter device 154 may include a right filter 162 that filters indoor air passing therethrough and a right filter frame 164 having a sliding guide 163 to which the right filter 162 may be slidably attached or detached. The right filter frame 164 of the right filter device 154 may connect the right supporter 58 and the right heat exchanger holder 142 to fix the right heat exchanger 34 along with the right supporter 58 and the right heat exchanger holder 142.

Namely, the left heat exchanger 32 may be mounted on the left supporter 56 and supported by the left heat exchanger holder 140 and the left filter device 152, thus limiting movement thereof, and the right heat exchanger 34 may be mounted on the right supporter 58 and supported by the right heat exchanger holder 142 and the right filter device 154, thus limiting movement thereof.

The ventilation apparatus may include a controller 170 for controlling operation of the ventilation apparatus. The controller 170 may be installed, for example, between the exhaust fan 42 and the top cover 22, or other locations as appropriate.

The ventilation apparatus may include a shielding member 180, or backflow shield 180, preventing outdoor air discharged upward and outward from the left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34 from flowing back to the exhaust fan 42 when the exhaust fan 42, the left air supply fan 44, and the right air supply fan 46 are driven. The shielding member 180 may be, for example, an outdoor air reverse current preventing member positioned between the exhaust fan 42 and the top cover 22. The shielding member 180 may connect the left heat exchanger holder 140 and the right heat exchanger holder 142 and enhance the strength of the left heat exchanger holder 140 and the right heat exchanger 142. A left side of the shielding member 180 may be coupled to the left heat exchanger holder 140, and a right side of the shielding member 180 may be coupled to the right heat exchanger holder 142.

As shown in FIG. 6, the controller 170 may include a PCB 171, a PCB case 172 on which the PCB 171 is mounted, and a PCB cover 173 covering the PC 171 and the PCB case 172. Various electronic components for controlling the ventilation apparatus may be installed on the PCB 171.

The PCB case 172 may be mounted on the shielding member 180. The PCB case 172 may prevent the PCB 171 from being in direct contact with the shielding member 180 and provide insulation for the PCB 171. The PCB case 172 may be molded from an insulating material such as plastic, or the like. The PCB cover 173 may protect the PCB 171 and the PCB case 172. The PCB cover 173 may be molded from an insulating material such as plastic, or the like.

The shielding member 180 may be made of a metallic material to provide strength and fire protection. The PCB 171 may be installed on the PCB case 172 to avoid direct contact with the shielding member 180.

A controller receiving space 181 may be formed in the shielding member 180 to receive and protect the controller 170 therein. A front side of the controller receiving space 181 may be open while the shielding member 180 maintains its assembly position relative to the left heat exchanger holder 140 and the right heat exchanger holder 142. The shielding member 180 may include a lower plate 182 on which the controller 170 is mounted, a left plate 183 formed on the left of the lower plate 182 and separated from the left heat exchanger 32, and a right plate 184 formed on the right of the lower plate 182 and separated from the right heat exchanger 34.

The left plate 183 of the shielding member 180 may be separated from the left heat exchanger 32 in the event of fire or overheating of the controller 170. The right plate 184 of the shielding member 180 may be separated from the right heat exchanger 34. The shielding member 180 may have a left gap T1 between the left plate 183 and the left heat exchanger 32 and a right gap T2 between the right plate 184 and the right heat exchanger 34.

The shielding member 180 may further include a left upper plate 185 formed at an upper side of the left plate 183 and connected to an upper portion of the left heat exchanger holder 140 and a right upper plate 186 formed at an upper side of the right plate 184 and connected to an upper portion of the right heat exchanger holder 142.

The operation of the ventilation apparatus configured as described above is as follows.

First, the left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46 are driven, and outdoor air is drawn into the outdoor air suction chamber 38 through the outdoor air suction hole 10. The outdoor air in the outdoor air suction chamber 38 is distributed to the left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46.

A flow direction of the outdoor air flowing through the left air supply fan 44 is changed to the leftward direction and discharged to the left outdoor air suction flow path 52 below the left heat exchanger 32. Thereafter, flow direction is changed to an upward direction in the left outdoor air suction flow path 52 so as to be drawn into the left heat exchanger 32, where the outdoor air in the outdoor air flow path 48 undergoes heat-exchange with indoor air passing along the indoor air flow path 50. The heat-exchanged air is then discharged through the upper face of the left heat exchanger 34 and directly discharged to the indoor area through the left outdoor air discharge hole 12 of the casing 2.

Namely, the outdoor air drawn into the outdoor air suction chamber 38 is distributed to the left and to the right in the outdoor air suction chamber 38, a flow direction thereof is changed to the horizontal direction one time, and then changed to the vertical direction one time, thus changing direction a total of two times, so as to be discharged into the indoor area.

As the exhaust fan 42 is driven, the indoor air is drawn in through the left indoor air suction hole 4 and the right indoor air suction hole 6.

The indoor air drawn in through the left indoor air suction hole 4 passes through the left filter 156 and is drawn into the left heat exchanger 32, where it passes through the indoor air flow path 50 and undergoes heat-exchange with outdoor air of the outdoor air flow path 48. Thereafter, the heat-exchanged air is drawn into the indoor air exhaust chamber 36 through the right face of the left heat exchanger 32 and through the exhaust fan 42 for discharge through the indoor air discharge hole 8.

The indoor air drawn in through the right indoor air suction hole 6 passes through the right filter 162 and is drawn into the right heat exchanger 34, where it passes through the indoor air flow path 50 and undergoes heat-exchange with outdoor air of the outdoor air flow path 48. Thereafter, the heat-exchanged air is drawn into the indoor air exhaust chamber 36 through the left face of the right heat exchanger 34 and through the exhaust fan 42 for discharge through the indoor air discharge hole 8.

As the ventilation apparatus is operated, noise generated from the left air supply fan 44 and the right air supply fan 46 may be transferred to the outside through the left outdoor air discharge hole 12 and the right outdoor air discharge hole 14. In this case, since two relatively small left and right air supply fans 44 and 46, rather than a single large air supply fan, are installed, less noise is generated when driven and noise transferred to the outside through the left outdoor air discharge hole 12 and the right outdoor air discharge hole 14 may be minimized.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a ventilation apparatus according to a second embodiment as broadly described herein;

As shown in FIG. 7, the ventilation apparatus may include a service cover 200 that covers the front sides of the left heat exchanger 32, the right heat exchanger 34, the exhaust fan 42, the left air supply fan 44, and the right air supply fan 46. The service cover 200 may prevent the left heat exchanger 32, the right heat exchanger 34, the exhaust fan 42, the left air supply fan 44, and the right air supply fan 46 from being exposed when the front panel 20 is separated or removed.

The service cover 200 may hermetically close the front side of the left heat exchanger 32, the front side of the right heat exchanger 34, and the front side of the indoor air exhaust chamber 36 to prevent indoor air from being unintentionally exhausted to an outdoor area after being sucked into the indoor air exhaust chamber 36, rather than passing through the left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34.

The service cover 200 may also hermetically close the front side of the outdoor air suction chamber 38, the front side of the left outdoor air suction flow path 52, the front side of the right outdoor air suction flow path 54, the front side of the left heat exchanger 32, and the front side of the right heat exchanger 34 to prevent outdoor air in the outdoor air suction chamber 38 from being unintentionally supplied to the indoor area through the outdoor air discharge holes 12 and 14, rather than passing through the left heat exchanger 32 and the right heat exchanger 34.

The service cover 200 may leave the front sides of the left and right filters 156 and 162 exposed and accessible to allow the left and right filters 156 and 162 to be removed from and replaced on the left and right filter frames 158 and 164 without separating the service cover 200.

The service cover 200 may be formed such that a horizontal width thereof is less than a distance between the left filter 156 installed on the left filter frame 158 and the right filter 162 installed on the right filter frame 164.

When the front panel 20 is separated, the service cover 200, the left filter 156 and the right filter 162 of the ventilation apparatus may be exposed to the outside so that the left filter 156 may be removed and replaced from the left side of the service cover 200 without having to separate the service cover 200 and the right filter 162 may be removed and replaced from the right side of the service cover 200.

The service cover 200 may include a left lower recess 202 formed at a left lower portion thereof to allow the left fastener 23A to be fastened or separated without separating the service cover 200. The service cover 200 may include a right lower recess 204 formed at a right lower portion thereof to allow the right fastener 23B to be fastened or separated without separating the service cover 200.

The controller 170 may be positioned between the exhaust fan 42 and the top cover 22, and the service cover 200 may include a controller recess 206 corresponding to an installation position of the controller 170 in order to provide access to the controller 170 without separating the service cover 200.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of ventilation apparatus according to a third embodiment as broadly described herein.

As shown in FIG. 8, the ventilation apparatus according to the third embodiment may include a left service cover 210 covering the front side of the left outdoor air suction flow path 52 and a right service cover 220 covering the front side of the right outdoor air suction flow path 54.

The left service cover 210 may hermetically close the front side of the left outdoor air suction flow path 52 to minimize leakage of air from the left air supply fan 44 into the indoor area through the left outdoor air discharge hole 12 without passing through the left heat exchanger 32. The left service cover 210 may be installed at a front side of the left supporter 56. The left service cover 210 may include a left lower recess 212 formed at a left lower portion thereof to allow the left fastener 23A to be fastened and separated without separating the left service cover 210.

The right service cover 220 may hermetically close the front side of the right outdoor air suction flow path 54 to minimize leakage of air from the right air supply fan 46 into the indoor area through the right outdoor air discharge hole 14 without passing through the right heat exchanger 34. The right service cover 220 may be installed at a front side of the right supporter 58. The right service cover 220 may include a right lower recess 222 formed at a right lower portion thereof to allow the right fastener 23B to be fastened and separated without separating the right service cover 220.

FIG. 9 is a front interior view of a ventilation apparatus according to a fourth embodiment as broadly described herein.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the ventilation apparatus according to the fourth embodiment, a partition plate 40′ is slightly rounded. Other configurations and operations of the partition plate 40′ may be the same as or similar to those of the partition plate 40 of the first embodiment.

The partition plate 40′ may have an upwardly convex shape. A left end of the partition plate 40′ may be fixed to and contact at least one of the left heat exchanger holder 140, the left supporter 56, or the left air supply fan mount 110. A right end of the partition plate 40′ may be fixed to and contact at least one of the right heat exchanger holder 142, the right supporter 58, or the right air supply fan mount 120.

A ventilation apparatus as embodied and broadly described herein may be installed in an indoor area. When such a ventilation apparatus directly supplies outdoor air to the indoor area, a single large air supply fan may generate a great deal of noise. If space is set aside for absorbing the noise generated by the air supply fan, the space occupied by the ventilation apparatus may be excessively large.

A ventilation apparatus as embodied and broadly described herein may include a casing having a left indoor air suction hole formed on the left and a right indoor air suction hole formed on the right, an indoor air discharge hole and an outdoor air suction hole formed at a rear side, and an outdoor air discharge hole formed at an upper side; a left electrical heat exchanger installed on the left within the casing, a right electrical heat exchanger installed on the right within the casing; a partition plate partitioning the internal left side and internal right side of the casing into an indoor air exhaust chamber and an outdoor air suction chamber; an exhaust fan disposed in the indoor air exhaust chamber; a left air supply fan disposed in the outdoor air suction chamber and blowing outdoor air to the left electrical heat exchanger; and a right air supply fan disposed in the outdoor air suction chamber and blowing outdoor air to the right electrical heat exchanger.

The left electrical heat exchanger and the right electrical heat exchanger may have an indoor air flow path allowing indoor air to pass therethrough in a horizontal direction and an outdoor air flow path allowing outdoor air to be sucked to a lower face thereof so as to be discharged to an upper face thereof, respectively.

The left electrical heat exchanger and the right electrical heat exchanger may have an outdoor air suction flow path between the left electrical heat exchanger and the right electrical heat exchanger and a lower plate of the casing.

The ventilation apparatus may also include a left supporter supporting the left electrical heat exchanger such that the left electrical heat exchanger is separated from the lower plate of the casing; and a right supporter supporting the right electrical heat exchanger such that the right electrical heat exchanger is separated from the lower plate of the casing.

The left supporter and the right supporter may have an opening allowing outdoor air to pass therethrough, respectively.

The ventilation apparatus may also include a left air supply fan mounter on which the left air supply fan is mounted; and a right air supply fan mounter on which the right air supply fan is mounted.

The left air supply fan mounter and the right air supply fan mounter may be vertically installed within the casing and have an opening allowing outdoor air to pass therethrough, respectively.

The left air supply fan and the right air supply fan may be separately installed.

The left air supply fan and the right air supply fan may include a fan housing, a blower rotatably placed within the fan housing, and a motor installed at the fan housing and rotating the blower, and the fan housings may suck outdoor air from front and rear faces thereof and have an air discharge hole formed on a circumferential portion thereof, respectively.

The fan housing of the left air supply fan and that of the right air supply fan may have the same shape, the air discharge hole of the fan housing of the left air supply fan may be installed to discharge air to the left side, and the air discharge hole of the fan housing of the right air supply fan may be installed to discharge air to the right side.

The motor of the fan housing of the left air supply fan may be installed on one of the front and rear faces, and the motor of the fan housing of the right air supply fan may be installed on the opposite side of the motor of the air supply fan.

The partition plate may include a horizontal plate placed between the left electrical heat exchanger and the right electrical heat exchanger a left sloped plate disposed to be sloped toward a lower end of the left electrical heat exchanger from the horizontal plate; and a right sloped plate disposed to be sloped toward a lower end of the right electrical heat exchanger from the horizontal plate.

The casing may include a top cover having a left outdoor air discharge hole formed at an upper side of the left electrical heat exchanger and a right outdoor air discharge hole formed at an upper side of the right electrical heat exchanger. The exhaust fan may include air suction holes formed at both of left and right faces thereof and an air discharge hole formed at a rear side thereof. The control unit controlling the ventilation apparatus may be installed to be placed between the exhaust fan and the top cover.

The ventilation apparatus may also include a shielding member preventing outdoor air discharged to an upper side of the left electrical heat exchanger and the right electrical heat exchanger from flowing backward to the exhaust fan.

The shielding member may include a control unit accommodation portion 181 accommodating the control unit.

According to embodiments as broadly described herein, compared with a case in which outdoor air is blown to a left electrical heat exchanger and a right electrical heat exchanger by a single large air supply fan, generation of noise may be reduced.

Also, since a flow path of outdoor air and a flow path of indoor air are simplified, generation of noise may be minimized and efficiency may be enhanced.

Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.

Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art. 

1. A ventilation apparatus, comprising: a casing having first and second indoor air suction holes respectively formed in first and second lateral sides thereof, an indoor air discharge hole and an outdoor air suction hole formed in a rear side thereof, and at least one outdoor air discharge hole formed in an upper side thereof; first and second heat exchangers installed within the casing; a partition plate installed in the casing to partition a portion of the casing between the first and second heat exchangers into an indoor air exhaust chamber and an outdoor air suction chamber; an exhaust fan provided in the indoor air exhaust chamber; and first and second air supply fans provided in the outdoor air suction chamber to provide outdoor air to the first and second heat exchangers, respectively.
 2. The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second heat exchangers each have an indoor air flow path that guides indoor air therethrough in a first direction and an outdoor air flow path that guides outdoor air therethrough in a second direction.
 3. The ventilation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the indoor air flow path extends horizontally and the outdoor air flow path extends vertically through the first and second heat exchangers.
 4. The ventilation apparatus of claim 3, wherein an upper face of each of the first and second heat exchangers is aligned with a corresponding portion of the at least one outdoor air discharge hole formed in the upper side of the casing such that outdoor air that has undergone heat exchange in the first and second heat exchangers is discharged from the casing through the at least one outdoor air discharge hole.
 5. The ventilation apparatus of claim 2, further comprising first and second outdoor air suction flow paths respectively formed between the first and second heat exchangers and a lower plate of the casing.
 6. The ventilation apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first and second air supply fans receive air through the outdoor air suction hole and blow air to the first and second outdoor air suction flow paths, respectively, for supply to the first and second heat exchangers, respectively.
 7. The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a first supporter supporting the first heat exchanger so as to separate the first heat exchanger from the lower plate of the casing and form a first flow space therebetween; and a second supporter supporting the second heat exchanger so as to separate the second heat exchanger from the lower plate of the casing and form a second flow space therebetween.
 8. The ventilation apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first supporter and the second supporter each have an opening formed therein in communication with the outdoor air suction chamber to guide air blown by the first and second air supply fans to the first and second heat exchangers via the first and second flow spaces, respectively.
 9. The ventilation apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: first and second fan mounts on which the first and second air supply fans are respectively mounted, wherein the first and second fan mounts are vertically installed within the casing and each have an opening formed therein that guides air blown by the first and second air supply fans into the first and second flow spaces, respectively.
 10. The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first air supply fan and the second air supply fan are separately installed in the casing and independently operated and controlled.
 11. The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second air supply fans each include: a fan housing; a blower rotatably installed in the fan housing; and a motor installed at the fan housing and rotating the blower, wherein outdoor air is drawn into the fan housing through front and rear faces thereof and is discharged through an air discharge hole formed in a circumferential portion thereof.
 12. The ventilation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the fan housing of the first air supply fan and that of the second air supply fan have the same shape, and wherein the air discharge hole of the fan housing of the first air supply fan is oriented so as to discharge air toward the first heat exchanger, and the air discharge hole of the fan housing of the second air supply fan is oriented so as to discharge air toward the second heat exchanger.
 13. The ventilation apparatus of claim 12, wherein the motor of the fan housing of the first air supply fan is installed on one of the front face or the rear face of its respective housing, and the motor of the fan housing of the second air supply fan is installed on the other of the front face or the rear face of its respective housing.
 14. The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the partition plate comprises: a horizontal plate positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger; a first sloped plate that extends at an incline from a first end of the horizontal plate toward a lower end of the first heat exchanger; and a second sloped plate that extends at an incline from a second end of the horizontal plate toward a lower end of the second heat exchanger.
 15. The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the partition plate has an upwardly convex shape.
 16. The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing includes a top cover and wherein the at least one outdoor air discharge hole comprises a first outdoor air discharge hole formed at a position corresponding to the first heat exchanger and a second outdoor air discharge hole formed at a position corresponding to the second heat exchanger, and wherein the exhaust fan includes air suction holes formed at two opposite ends thereof and an air discharge hole formed at a rear side thereof, and a controller controlling operation of the ventilation apparatus is installed between the exhaust fan and the top cover.
 17. The ventilation apparatus of claim 16, further comprising: a backflow shield preventing outdoor air discharged through upper ends of the first and second heat exchangers from flowing backward to the exhaust fan.
 18. The ventilation apparatus of claim 16, wherein the backflow shield includes a controller receiving space in which the controller is received, wherein the controller receiving space has an opened front face.
 19. The ventilation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a service cover covering front sides of the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the exhaust fan, the first air supply fan, and the second air supply fan.
 20. A ventilation apparatus, comprising: a casing having a first indoor air suction hole formed in a first side thereof and a second indoor air suction hole formed in a second side thereof, an indoor air discharge hole and an outdoor air suction hole formed in a third side thereof, the third side extending between the first and second sides, and an outdoor air discharge hole formed in an upper side thereof; first and second heat exchangers respectively installed in first and second interior portions of the casing; a partition plate installed in a space formed between the first and second interior portions of the casing so as to partition the space into an indoor air exhaust chamber and an outdoor air suction chamber; an exhaust fan provided in the indoor air exhaust chamber; and first and second air supply fans provided in the outdoor air suction chamber and forming a distributed air supply flow path that draws outdoor air into the outdoor air suction chamber and distributes the outdoor air to the first and second heat exchangers.
 21. The ventilation apparatus of claim 20, wherein the casing includes a top cover having a first outdoor air discharge hole formed at a position corresponding to a top of the first heat exchanger and a second outdoor air discharge hole formed at a position corresponding to a top of the second heat exchanger, and wherein the exhaust fan includes air suction holes formed at two opposite end faces thereof and an air discharge hole formed at a rear side thereof, and a controller controlling operation the ventilation apparatus is installed between the exhaust fan and the top cover. 